The present invention relates to an electrical connector which is used for information exchange with a card-like memory module, such as a miniature card, which has a plurality of flat contacts for signal transmission on its surface.
An example of card-like memory module of the type mentioned above, which has a plurality of flat contacts arranged on a surface for signal transmission, is a miniature card which is made smaller than a conventional IC card and is used as memory, for example, in a small size computer. As shown in FIG. 10, the miniature card 70 is a plate-like rectangular form and includes three power-supply contacts 71 and first and second grooves 72 and 73, each having a different width. The first groove 72, which is wider, is used to position the miniature card correctly in the housing of a connecter, into which the miniature card is inserted. The second groove 73, which is narrower, is to prevent accidental insertion into a connector which has a different voltage rating other than the one rated for the miniature card. For a miniature card whose voltage rating is different, the second groove 73 is provided at a different position. Therefore, the miniature card 70 can be inserted into only those connectors which have a right voltage rating. The miniature card 70 further includes a plurality of signal-transmission contacts 75, which are fixed in the laterally extending two rows of contact-mounting grooves 74 that are provided near the lower end 70a on the rear surface 70b of the miniature card 70. Furthermore, near the contact-mounting grooves 74 and on the lateral sides of the card, recesses 76 are provided for engagement.
As a connector to receive the miniature card 70, there is a vertically mounted connector, which comprises a housing and a plurality of signal-transmission contacts. The housing comprises a rear wall, which extends vertically, and a front wall, which faces the lower portion of the rear wall in front of the rear wall, and these two walls are connected to each other at their lateral sides. The signal-transmission contacts are provided aligned laterally in the rear wall of the housing, with the contact portions of the contacts protruding out of the front surface of the rear wall. When the miniature card 70 is installed into this connector, at first, from a position a little aside and above the connector, the lower end 70a of the miniature card 70 is placed into the groove defined between the front and rear walls of the housing of the connector. Next, the power-supply contacts 71 of the card are pushed onto the power-supply contacts of the connector, which are provided in the groove. Then, the miniature card 70 is turned around the lower end 70a by pushing the surface 70c of the miniature card 70, and the miniature card 70 is positioned in parallel with the rear wall of the connector to bring the signal-transmission contacts 75 of the card into contact with the signal-transmission contacts of the connector. In this position, the miniature card 70 is retained securely by a locking mechanism in the housing of the connector.
As described above, when the miniature card 70 is installed in the connector, the miniature card 70 is first tilted to insert the lower end 70a of the card into the groove of the connector. If the design of the connector requires a relatively large tilting angle for the insertion of the card, then it is necessary to keep a sufficient space available for this tilt-and-turn installation. In this case, the connector requires a relatively large size, which is a problem against miniaturization.
Also, when the miniature card 70 is being installed into the connector, the front wall of the connector must bear a bending stress and a shear stress because the front wall of the housing is pushed and pressed forward by the lower end 70a of the miniature card 70. In the conventional connector, this front wall is connected to the rear wall only through the lateral side portions of the housing as described above. Thus, it is possible that these stresses become too large to be withstood by the connector.
It is an object of this invention to provide an electrical connector which requires a relatively small space for installation of a miniature card.
Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical connector which is compact.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an electrical connector which has a high reliability and a sufficient strength to withstand the force exerted by the lower end of the miniature card which is being installed.
The present invention provides an electrical connector which comprises a housing and a plurality of signal-transmission contacts (e.g., the first and second signal-transmission contacts 30 and 40 of the following embodiment). The housing comprises a rear wall, which extends substantially vertically, and a front wall, which is provided in front of and parallel with the lower part of the rear wall. The front wall is connected with the rear wall at the lateral sides of the walls. The signal-transmission contacts are arranged in parallel with one another in a laterally extending row in the rear wall, and each of the signal-transmission contacts has a contact portion at one end thereof, each contact portion protruding forward from the rear wall. In this connector, the housing is capable of receiving a card-like memory module (e.g., the miniature card 70 of the following embodiment), which is swung from an inserted position to an installed position in the housing for installation. The inserted position is defined as a condition where the memory module is tilted forward with the upper end thereof being positioned forward and the lower end thereof being shifted downward and inserted into and positioned in a groove that is defined between the rear wall and the front wall of the housing. The installed position is defined as a condition where the memory module is turned around the lower end thereof from the inserted position and is positioned substantially parallel with the rear wall. The memory module has a plurality of flat signal-transmission contacts arranged in a row on a flat surface thereof. When the memory module is brought into the installed position, the signal-transmission contacts of the memory module come into contact with the contact portions of the signal-transmission contacts of the connector. In addition, the housing is formed such that when the tilting angle of the memory module for the insertion of the lower end thereof into the groove of the housing is in a predetermined range of acute angle (e.g., 20 to 25 degrees), the lower end of the memory module is insertable into the groove.
With this connector, the memory module is installed into the connector just by turning the memory module into a vertical condition, sweeping an angle which is in the predetermined range (i.e., 25 degrees at most if the predetermined range is from 20 degrees to 25 degrees). Therefore, the space required in front of the rear wall of the housing for the installation of the memory module is relatively small. This is advantageous when the connector is used to construct a compact assembly. Moreover, it is preferable that a guide portion be provided at the upper end of the groove of the housing to lead the lower end of the memory module into the groove when the tilting angle of the memory module is greater than the predetermined range (i.e., if the predetermined range is from 20 degrees to 25 degrees, then the tilting angle of this case is greater than 25 degrees).
The connector of the present invention is provided with a plurality of plate-like members. In this case, these members are arranged parallel with one another in a laterally extending row, each member extending in the front and rear direction and connecting the rear wall and the front wall at the lower end of the groove of the housing.
In this design of the connector, the rear and front walls defining the groove, into which the lower end of the memory module is inserted, are connected through these plate-like members as well as through the lateral sides of the walls. This design prevents any excessive stress to be generated in the front wall of the housing when the front wall is pushed forward by the lower end of the memory module during the installation of the memory module into the connector. Thus, the connector has a sufficient strength and a relatively high reliability.
It is also preferable that slits which exist between every two neighboring plate-like members extend further into the rear wall and form contact grooves (e.g., the signal contact grooves 21 of the following embodiment), into which the signal-transmission contacts of the connector are mounted. With this design, the contact grooves are formed in the housing relatively easily, and also the mounting of the signal-transmission contacts into the contact grooves is accomplished relatively easily. Thus, the productivity can be improved.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.